The popular review aggregator site, Metacritic, is a bit of a controversial topic, especially when it comes to the video games industry, in particular – video game reviews. Many have said that Metacritic has a large amount of influence when it comes to the video game purchasing decisions of potential consumers, for better or worse.
However, during a session at the recent Montreal International Game Summit, Justin Bailey, who is Double Fine Productions chief operating officer, suggested that Metacritic doesn’t really matter that much anymore.
Throughout Bailey’s presentation, he progressed through a list of “things” that have or have not had an impact on the sales of Double Fine’s video games. In regards to what helped bolster or increase the sales of their games, that included free Steam weekends, “Let’s Play” videos, as well as general word of mouth or informal cross-promotion between other independent developers. As for what did not work…Metacritic.
Read more on what Justin Bailey had to say about Metacritic after the break.
Double Fine COO: Metacritic is all but obsolete
Justin Bailey said the following regarding Metacritic and its impact (or lack of) on video game sales:
“There’s no need to obsess over Metacritic. We’ve basically seen Metacritic all but become obsolete right now…We get obsessed with it. Other developers get obsessed with it. The press gets obsessed with it. But it doesn’t really matter, as far as the sales of the game.”
What’s even more interesting (and a bit unfortunate, seeing as GamerHeadlines is considered to be within the following group), Bailey stated that traditional gaming press, such as gaming websites, magazines, blogs, et cetera, are just as unimportant when it comes to driving up the sales of video games.
During the Summit session, Bailey stated that when he first started working at Double Fine, a large misconception of his was that gaming press would have a tremendous impact on sales.
In regards to the topic, Double Fine’s COO said:
“I think who’s looking at the gaming press are for the most part other developers, and so it seems important to other developers. I’m just not certain how many gamers are going to the press. It seems they’re being siphoned off into Let’s Play and other avenues. They’re going to review sites as the gateway to find their reviews.“
Bailey cites Amazon’s Twitch acquisition and Disney’s Maker Studio as tangible proof that larger, more prominent companies have already realized the potential value of alternatives to Metacritic and traditional gaming press.
However, Bailey went on to say that Metacritic, gaming press, and games media are not totally worthless from a financial perspective, even beneficial – especially when it comes to Kickstarter campaigns (most likely referring to Double Fine’s Broken Age Kickstarter).
On a similar note, Bailey stated that the concept of “game bundles” both worked and didn’t work, saying that bundles can provide a short-term boost in sales, but their long-term effects may be detrimental:
“I’m worried about the effect bundles will have because of the consumer expectations that I shouldn’t pay more than $2.”
One of his suggestions is that game publishers or developers should wait at least 2 years before including them in a bundle.
What are your thoughts on Justin Bailey’s thoughts on Metacritic and traditional gaming press? In your experience, do Twitch livestreams, YouTube “Let’s Plays,” et cetera, have a larger impact on your game purchases than Metacritic or game review sites?
Let us know in the comments section below! As always, stay tuned to GamerHeadlines.com for the latest in video game and technology news.